Inspired by an upbringing on the French island of Corsica and Michelin-backed pastry expertise, Terence Mesana is preparing to open a brick-and-mortar location for his gelato pop-up, Nepita. The West Village retail shop and cafe will have a seasonal gelato menu, along with coffee and matcha drinks. The space at 15 8th Ave. is currently being renovated, and a tentative opening date is set for late June.
As a classically trained pastry chef, Mesana gained experience working at Michelin-starred restaurants in Daniel Boulud’s Dinex group. He started branching out on his own in 2024, doing a series of pop-ups with Nepita.
“It’s kind of a crazy story,” he told What Now New York. “Basically, I was rolling out a chest freezer out of an Uber and going from bar to bar, like all the way to Brooklyn. I was just networking and taking part in events in the city. It’s a big pop-up scene out here, so, it was pretty cool to have some support through doing all that.”
A scroll through the Nepita Instagram reveals a range of gelato with modern Mediterranean flavors. For example, a recent test flavor was ras el hanout and candied, spiced raisins gelato, paired with star anise and orange blossom cookies. For the cold weather months, Mesana said he was considering offering a small assortment of pastries and cookies.
“I always try to implement some sort of element from Corsica or from the overall Mediterranean,” Mesana said. “For example, last summer, we had a fig leaf-vanilla gelato, which was super popular.”
“I grew up around fig trees, and when you’re under these trees, you can really smell the scent of those leaves, and it’s delicious,” he added. “So, that gelato flavor was kind of a nod to my youth.”
Nepita will be located in a fairly residential part of the West Village with significant foot traffic. Mesana noted that the location is an ideal one for his concept.
“It’s a very charming neighborhood,” he said. “People have been very nice and introducing themselves. It’s definitely the place where Nepita. It really does vibe with the brand.”
